Celiac Disease
New to celiac disease?
If you are, I know you are feeling overwhelmed and wondering what to do next. I know you are wondering where to start. We felt the same thing when our daughter was diagnosed several years ago. Take a deep breath. I promise you will be ok.
We’ve been at this for five years now. (read our full story below) Navigating celiac disease and gluten-free foods will take practice and intentionality. But it is entirely possible to make this adjustment and keep yourself, your family, or your friends safe.
Just remember to be gracious with yourself and others. Mistakes, accidents, and misunderstandings will happen. I’ve even accidentally switched my kids’ lunches. Use those mistakes as a learning opportunity for the future.
Don’t know where to start?
The first thing you probably want to do is get some gluten-free foods. The easiest thing to do is start with brands that are known to be labeled gluten-free.
This list is not comprehensive, but may help if you are feeling overwhelmed. Most grocery stores will carry these brands:
- Baking Supplies: Bob’s Red Mill https://amzn.to/3SroUsD, King Arthur https://amzn.to/3I8g9z7
- Bars: Pamela’s https://amzn.to/3OxjMlM, Simple Mills https://amzn.to/494o7Vu
- Breads: Canyon Bakehouse https://amzn.to/48Y6wP4, Schar https://amzn.to/493sPTt
- Cheese: Great Value Brand (Walmart)
- Chips: Siete https://amzn.to/3SOe0yk, Utz brand https://amzn.to/3HOR4cc
- Cookies: Simple Mills https://amzn.to/49kwPif, Glutino https://amzn.to/42wYpqu, Kinnikinnick https://amzn.to/484EHDw
- Crackers: Simple Mills https://amzn.to/3w5Ko73
- Donuts & Sweets: Katz https://amzn.to/4bpPZoM
- Mac & Cheese: Annie’s GF https://amzn.to/3w69IK2
- Pretzels: Glutino https://amzn.to/3UnLHZ0
- Sauces, Marinades, Ketchup: G Hughes https://amzn.to/3utiVLO
- Soups: Pacific Foods (most are gluten-free, but some aren’t, so be sure to check!) https://amzn.to/4864fAd
Links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Up Next? Reading labels
Reading food labels to determine what is gluten-free can be challenging. Some are very clearly labeled, and then there’s the sneaky food labeling laws that make it confusing.
Below is a downloadable guide you can print out and keep handy while you are learning how to navigate food labels. You can also give a copy to friends and family to help familiarize them with your new needs.
Get the full guide
Get “A Practical Guide to Celiac Disease!” This guide is full of the information you need as you start on this celiac journey – things most of us don’t learn until well into living gluten-free. It’s an easy to read guide with lessons learned and practical information you need to know on grocery shopping – including those items you wouldn’t think to look out for, avoiding cross-contamination at home and away, and dining out tips and resources.
Our Celiac Journey
In hindsight, our story began at my daughter’s birth. She always had a finicky digestive system, but when she turned 1, it got way worse. She suffered from chronic constipation that was explained away as probable dairy intolerance. We limited her dairy, but she lived on and off Miraxlax for several years. I was almost arrested once in an airport bathroom because she had to go, but couldn’t, and it hurt, and she was screaming, like SCREAMING. Someone called security because they thought I was abusing her.
Fast forward to the December before she turned 7. She had 4 back-to-back UTIs due to the constipation. The following month, she wound up in the hospital with a severe kidney infection. This began our journey with Pediatric Urologists and GIs.
Her GI bloodwork showed a high celiac marker, and she underwent an endoscopy in May that year. The endoscopy came back inconclusive. We were given the option of rescoping in 6 months or going gluten-free and redoing bloodwork in 6 months. We opted for bloodwork. After going gluten-free, her numbers were down signifcantly and in the normal range. At this point, they officially diagnosed her as celiac.
It took quite a while for her insides to heal. She continued on and off Miralax with a few cleanses added in. She hated it. I finally discovered poop chocolate (1 part coconut oil to 1 part chocolate chips melted together, poured into candy molds, and kept in refrigerator). Once she started using these, she was a much happier girl and her constipation issues finally resolved after several months of consistent use.
After a recent blood panel came back out of the normal range, I started to research what could be contributing to higher numbers. There is so much we weren’t told, and that I didn’t come to know until very recently – almost 5 years into our celiac journey.
On this page, you’ll find recipes and resources that I pray will help you and yours on your own journey.
